Deb Townsend moved from her home state of Iowa to settle in Indiana seven years ago and has been thankful for all the accomplishments and milestones along the way. In Iowa, she received her art education certification for grades K-12; however, she was unable to teach with her certification in Indiana.
Prior to moving to Northwest Indiana, Townsend taught in metro schools, parochial schools, rural schools, and also in the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in Vinton.
What was her next step after relocating you ask?
“I decided to work for a not-for-profit organization, which I have done very often throughout my career. The first position I had in Indiana was with the Porter County American Red Cross; I served as their executive director for three years,” Townsend said. “A Labor Liaison position was posted through The United Way and I took it upon myself to inquire about it.”
Townsend was then told that AmeriCorps was also included in the Community Services Labor Liaison job title. If we fast forward to four years later, then we will still find her still serving her community through The United Way and AmeriCorps.
Her duties at AmeriCorps include providing Labor Liaison commitment between The United Way and organized labor, administering the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Emergency Food Shelter Program (EFSP) for Porter County, and so much more.
Currently, Townsend covers various counties including Lake, Porter, La Porte, Starke, and Marshall.
Outside of work, family influences her to keep making a difference anywhere in any way that she can. Townsend knows that she can always count on her husband and she can look to her son and daughter for the same support. They are all close even though her two children live in Iowa with families of their own.
“We make sure to communicate as much as we can. They send me pictures of my grandchildren, we talk almost every day, and that’s so important to me—to have that contact with them even though they live farther away,” Townsend said. “My husband and our children are very proud of me professionally and they really love the projects and service the AmeriCorps members provide.”
She also loves those who she works with because they do such great things in the community whether they are students, AmeriCorps members, staff, or volunteers.
“I’ve met some of the best people in the world who share the same mission. We want to do things like help children learn to read and assist community members with ways to pay their rent—that to me is the most meaningful. I’m thankful for my husband who supports me and allows me to do work that means so much to me,” Townsend said.
Being involved in many community groups is another love of hers. She has been a PTA President, a trail committee fundraising group worker (up-keeping 75 miles of trails), a teacher of church classes, an art instructor at Gabriel’s Horn, a Red Cross Disaster Relief supporter, a part of a ladies auxiliary in a local hospital, and many other additional roles.
The United Way and AmeriCorps have played a very positive role in Townsend’s life as well as in the communities they serve. Those who work for these organizations do so much good not only for those needing help, but for themselves too.
“When you take a look at yourself on the inside, you should decide what you can give to others in your community as a gift. Can you give up your time? If you can’t give your time, then can you give a donation? We should also be open to opportunities that come our way because not everyone will ask for help,” said Townsend. “Sometimes you need to look around and say, ‘I need to help.’”
The AmeriCorps program is still hiring individuals in the youth division. There are full-time and part-time positions yet to be filled and in addition to payment, those applying will also receive an education award for completing their service time for one year. These education awards can be used to pay back student loans or to pay tuition money.
To apply, follow this link (http://www.unitedwaypc.org/americorps). Follow the directions in the section titled, “How do I Apply?”
Please see http://www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation/state-profiles/in to view how much Indiana is involved with community help.